Leading the green recovery electricity network companies are to invest over £300 million in network capacity for electric transport, clean heat and wider infrastructure development. Following a successful call for evidence, in which local authorities, developers and other parties stated the case for extra network capacity to receive investment, Britain’s energy networks will now accelerate funding over the next 12-24 months. David Smith, Chief Executive of Energy Networks Association which represents the UK and Ireland’s energy networks businesses said: “With just a few months left until COP26 we are delighted to have been able to bring forward such a crucial enabler of the Prime Minister’s green recovery ambitions. Delivering a green recovery for seas, skies and streets, over £300m of electricity distribution network investment will enable wide-ranging projects which help tackle some of our biggest Net Zero challenges, like electric vehicle range anxiety and the decarbonisation of heavier transport. “This new funding shows the social, economic and environmental benefits that can be brought forward by industry working closely with a flexible regulator.” Projects selected include those in the areas of electric flight, shipping, heating and road transportation. These projects will not only play a critical role in driving a green recovery but will provide a foundation for the emerging technologies needed for a Net Zero future. Details of some of the projects can be found below.  Key case study map Further case studies from across Britain Network operator Location Details Western Power Distribution South West – Truro In Truro Western Power Distribution are replacing two 132/33kV transformers, bringing on 30MW extra capacity for demand and for generation. Reflecting a £2m investment there are a multitude of uses for this new capacity. The area has abundant existing and proposed solar resources as well as a proposed garden village where a number of low carbon technologies are being considered. Crucially, Cornwall is also an area with many homes which do not have access to the gas network. With improved capacity in the county, more homes in Cornwall will have the option of switching to electric solutions. Western Power Distribution Wales Every year the Brecon Beacons are visited by over four million people; that’s four million people who, before long, will need to charge their electric vehicles. As part of the Green Recovery programme, Western Power Distribution are making multiple 11kV network investments through new cabling and substations, representing a £1million investment in Builth Wells and Llandrindod Wells. Whilst not solely intended for electric vehicle charge points, there has been a strong interest in establishing charge points in this area, catering to the rural tourist areas between Brecon Beacons National Park and Shropshire Hills AONB Western Power Distribution West Midlands – Gloucester Services M4 At the Gloucester services on the M4, Western Power Distribution are to build a 11kV network extension via two new cables from Tuffley 33/11kV substation towards Gloucester Services. In short, this allows for an increase of 8MW in demand and 6W in generation. Representing a £1.6m investment this facilitates connection of charging points for electric vehicles along this major, arterial road, as well as other growth in this area on the outskirts of Gloucester. Crucially, the cables will be laid rated at 33kV for efficiencies in future as growth increases – effectively futureproofing the project for the further growth anticipated in the area. Western Power Distribution East Midlands – East Croft Nottingham Nottingham City Council aim to transform the area into the first carbon neutral city by 2028. With that in mind, Nottingham is a known growth area with significant plans for low carbon technology growth in the coming years whilst also handling existing network constraints. To enable this, Western Power Distribution are investing £3.5m in a new 33/11kV substation in the city centre. This investment will provide 24MW of extra capacity for demand and 18MW extra capacity for generation. Electricity North West Windermere Cumbria County Council’s Carbon Management Strategy aims for the county to become “carbon neutral” by 2037. Decarbonisation of transport plans include; tourist activity, which will ensure electric vehicle charging facilities at major tourist carparks, and the replacement of the existing aging diesel Windermere ferry with a new environmentally friendly electric ferry. To accommodate these new low carbon connections in the Windermere lakeside area, Electricity North West plan to invest approximately £700k to install 4km of 11kV cable to enhance the network capacity there before 2022. A further investment of up to £1m is planned to strengthen the upstream 33kV network to ensure the security of this new capacity. Electricity North West St Cuthbert’s Garden Village, Carlisle Building on Carlisle’s designation by the World Health Organisation as a World Healthy City, St Cuthbert’s will be a place that encourages and facilitates a healthy lifestyle. Walking and cycling, supportive neighbourhoods, planned educational facilities and a strong sense of community spirit will all improve health and wellbeing. An objective for St Cuthbert’s is to promote sustainable energy use and the development of renewable energy resources, where feasible. It will also set out to promote energy efficient buildings whilst maintaining thermal comfort levels. Renewable and low carbon heat supplies being considered for the sites include: Solar thermal Air source heat pumps Water source heat pumps Ground source heat pumps Energy from sewers Deep geothermal Energy from waste Industrial waste heat Electricity North West propose to utilise the replacement of the overhead lines that currently traverses the area with cables as an opportunity to uprate the circuits in the area and meet the developments needs for an additional 8.5MW of electrical capacity. The new electrical network will be designed with the requirements to support both electrical consumption and generation in mind, enabling the decarbonisation vision of the Garden Village. As well as installing a higher capacity replacement circuit, Electricity North West plan to install ducts to futureproof the development, enabling future cables to be easily installed, providing the potential for even more capacity. This includes provisions for the connection of electric vehicle charging capacity at Southwaite Service Station on the M6 motorway.

Solar energy has bombarded the planet for the last 4 billion years. Harnessing the sun’s power to get electricity is a good option if you want cleaner and better energy sources. Besides, they’re so efficient and cost-effective. Rather than depending on the grid for electricity supply to heat your pool or power your home, you can install efficient solar panels to do these for you effectively. Since summer is approaching fast, you can switch to a solar attic fan to cool your home rather than an electrical fan that would use a lot of power to run. There are several inexhaustible reasons to turn to solar panels.  You should, however, note that an efficient panel doesn’t necessarily translate into improved economic benefits for a modern home. While the idea of saving money monthly seems promising, initial investment might have you wondering if it’s worth the time, money, and efforts. Let’s dig in deeper to help you comprehend more about solar power efficiency. Efficacy of Solar Power on A Modern Home Solar panel efficacy is a measurement of a solar panel’s capability to convert sunlight effectively into vital and usable electricity. All factors (sunlight amount and durational time) constant, a more efficient solar panel will produce significant power compared to a non-efficient one. The efficiency of solar panels is typically determined by the amount of electricity produced by the solar cells. They are consequently directly influenced by surrounding components, electrical configuration, and their composition, amongst other factors. Solar panels can process up to 22% of solar energy per day and convert it into vital energy based on various variables. The sunlight amount that’s convertible into electricity is referred to as performance, and its outcome determines the efficacy of the solar panels.  Top-notch solar panels may exceed efficiency to even 23%, but standard photovoltaic panels cannot go beyond 20% efficiency. A PV’s conversion efficiency is the percentile of solar energy that’s directly shining on the device. Enhancing this efficiency should be the primary goal of solar panel companies. It is this conversion energy percentile that makes them cost-competitive. Panel installation companies are looking for extra ways to make their systems more efficient every day.  Factors That Determine And Impact The Efficacy of Solar Power Undeniably not all the sunlight reaching PV cells is convertible into usable electricity. Most are often lost. Several factors in solar cells designation impact a cell’s capability to convert the received sunlight. Designating with the following factors in mind will increase the achievable efficiency of solar panels.  Wavelength Photons make up light. These photons possess a vast range of energies and wavelengths. Sunlight which reaches the surface of the Earth contains ultraviolet-based wavelengths via visible ranges to infrared. After light strikes the solar cells’ surface, some pass through while others are reflected. Absorbed photons turn their energy into heat while the other remainders usually separate electrons using their power from atomic bonds. They then produce electric currents and charge carriers. Temperature Low temperatures favor the efficiency of solar cells. If there are high temperatures, the semiconductor properties can shift, resulting in the increased current but decreased voltage. An increase in temperatures damage modules and cell materials, reducing the durability of the solar panels. Most of the bright sunlight on cells turns into heat. Therefore thermal management can enhance the lifetime and efficiency of solar panels. Recombination A charge carrier like an electron should easily flow across materials to enable electric current in the semiconductor. A’ hole’ which is also another charge carrier, represents electron absence in the materials. It then acts as a positively charged carrier. If electrons experience a hole, they tend to recombine and stop contributing to the flowing electric currents. Direct recombination is the process of a hole and light-generated electron encountering each other, recombining, and then emitting photons. This process reverses the entire process wherein there’s the generation of electricity in the solar cells. It limits efficiency. On the other hand, indirect recombination can be described as a process wherein holes and electrons encounter impurities, then recombine and finally emit their energy to become heat.   Reflection When the amount of reflected light is significantly minimized, solar cells become very efficient. This can be done using textured surfaces as well as an anti-reflection coating. Black or dark blue cells in the solar panels are highly efficient. Shade Shade, no matter how small on the solar panel, can decrease the output. Panels are wired systematically together, so any shade on the part of a panel will lower the energy production and overall system. You should install solar panels in maximum sunlight exposure areas to mitigate this issue. However, this might be hard sometimes, so you need to look for better available alternatives.  Panel Installation How you installed a solar panel is vital because it will determine how much sunlight will be captured. The panels’ angle and sunlight hitting will highly impact the efficiency of your solar system. If your panel is mounted on the roof, its slope will determine the amount of sunlight that will hit it. Commercial installations compensate for Earth’s imminent movement through installing tracking systems. However, they’re expensive, so they’re not used for residential purposes.    Ice A buildup of ice can occur on solar panel surfaces when silicon coating wasn’t applied. Ice buildup decreases the efficiency of solar panels by up to 100%.  UV Degradation UV degradation can delaminate solar cells structure. It also causes discoloration. Remember, efficient solar cells are either black or dark blue. Thermal Cycling This causes cell components to reduce efficiency drastically. Solar cell components are inclusive of module connections, solder bonds, interconnections, and internal cells. Conclusion If your roof is small, there are high chances of getting efficient PV panels, although they’ll be expensive. On the other hand, if you possess huge space amounts, you can get satiating energy needs with cheaper yet less efficient panels. That said, when you switch to a solar system for your house, you need to maintain and care for them to

Work to deliver the £170m of infrastructure which will make the £6bn Meridian Water project a reality took a huge step forward on Tuesday 16 March with the appointment of the first contractors. Enfield Council was awarded the money by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government last year (2020) from its Housing Infrastructure Fund. It will be used to build the roads, bridges, cycle lanes and parkland, as well as the water, gas and communications networks required to deliver the flagship 10,000 home, 6,000 job Meridian Water scheme. Today, Tuesday 16 March, Enfield Council can announce that it has entered into a Framework Agreement with Vinci Taylor Woodrow, BamNuttall and VolkerFitzpatrick to support  the delivery of £90million of the works following a competitive procurement process. Furthermore, the Council has today appointed Vinci Taylor Woodrow, as the first ranked framework contractor, to provide pre-construction services. Construction works are due to start on site later this year. The scheme is expected to generate 150 jobs that last for a year or more, with at least 30 of those roles going to local people, and supporting 10 skilled apprenticeships. In addition, there will be an anticipated boost to Enfield’s construction sector, with at least £4 million of contracts with Enfield construction companies, supporting further local jobs. The Leader of Enfield Council, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, said: “This is a major step forward for Meridian Water, the delivery of infrastructure on the site will pave the way for the 10,000 homes and 6,000 jobs we will be creating in this development. “Successfully delivering the infrastructure on the site will be a major step forward in what will be a transformational plan for the area, providing homes, jobas and parkland for the lasting benefit of our borough’s residents. “We are proceeding with pace on this ambitious programme which transform the face of Enfield and play a major role in tackling the housing crisis locally and providing a new, state of the art development which will provide the good quality jobs and homes our residents need.” Enfield Council has made major strides forward in the delivery of Meridian Water, a brand new £46million station was funded by the local authority to improve transport links to the site and the first homes – on the first phase of the development – which will provide circa 950 homes – are due to achieve first completions in 2022. In terms of job creation, the Council has struck a deal with Troubadour Theatres that will provide jobs and increase skills to build film and television studios at its £6bn Meridian Water development. The complex will be known as Troubadour Meridian Water Studios and will assist with the economic regeneration of the Edmonton and Enfield. Work on converting the former VOSA building on the Meridian Water development, to create workspace for Building BloQs to provide to thousands of freelance designers, makers and small businesses, started in December last year. The new workshop will provide 30,000sq feet of workspace and support up to 1,000 makers and creators across a range of departments – engineering, wood, metal, digital and additive technology, paint finishing, and a fashion studio for many years to come.  For more information contact Andrew Golder, Press and New Media Manager, Enfield Council. Tel: 020 8379 5147. Email: Andrew.golder@enfield.gov.uk  

According to research from energy consultancy Energy Management LLP, NHS Trusts spend an average of half a billion pounds each year on gas and electric. Powering patient care is a costly exercise, however there are solutions that can deliver power generation in a cost-effective way. One example is combined heat and power (CHP). Here Jason Harryman, UK Sales and Business Development Manager at energy and transportation expert Finning UK & Ireland, the exclusive distributor of Cat® equipment in the UK and Ireland, explains the benefits of using CHP in hospitals. Keeping medical equipment like ventilators running, as well as providing light and heating for large facilities, means hospitals typically have very high baseloads. The outbreak of COVID-19 has put added pressure on healthcare facilities, due to larger numbers of patients in intensive care. One major use of energy is heat, which is at the heart of every hospital — it is used for sterilising tools, heating water and for keeping wards warm. Conventional electricity generation is typically only around 40 per cent efficient and the heat generated by the equipment is wasted. This can lead to high energy costs as hospitals must consume more energy to compensate for what is lost. One way to reduce energy costs in hospitals is combined heat and power. As well as generating electricity, CHP systems use waste heat to generate steam and hot water for medical hygiene purposes. This means that hospitals can achieve energy efficiency gains and cost reductions in one. While the efficiency of traditional power generation is around 40 per cent fuel effective, CHP means hospitals can increase efficiency to over 75 per cent. For example, Finning supplied Rotherham Hospital with a Cat® G3516B gas generator that had an electrical output of 1.1 M We, alongside heat recovery modules and an external radiator cooling system. The CHP solution produced heat as a by-product and fed it back into the hospital’s heating system. After only 30 days, the hospital achieved an efficiency rate of 90.2 per cent. Two for the price of one It is easy for hospitals to end up paying for energy twice — for electricity to power the hospital and for gas to heat it. Using a CHP system means they will only need to pay for the gas to power the system. Meanwhile, it will produce electricity and heat simultaneously at effectively half the price of coal and gas-fired plants. CHP systems can run in periods of low thermal demand so that hospitals can benefits from cheaper power. According to a report by NHS England and Public Health England, it was suggested that CHP could save the NHS £26.4 million per year by 2020.  Cleaner energy As more hospitals commit to reducing their carbon footprints, CHP can help management teams meet sustainability goals. Because CHP captures the heat that would otherwise be lost from power generation, less fuel is required to produce the same amount of energy. Less fuel means less carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide is produced from the combustion process — hospitals can reduce emissions by at least 20 per cent by using CHP. With hospitals spending an average of half-a-billion pounds a year on gas and electric, CHP provides a way for management teams to recovering costs while achieving cleaner and more efficient energy. To find out how you can get more out of your electric power generation, visit https://www.finning.com/en_GB/industries/electric-power-generation/chp.html.